Locking means



Aug 13, i940. R. SCHWARZ LOCKING MEANS Filed Sept. 15, 1959 Patented Aug. 13, 1940 PATENT OFFICE LOCKING MEANS Rudolf Schwan, Liepaja, Latvia Application September 15,

1939, Serial No. 295,001

In Latvia May 25, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in locking means and, more particularly, to locking means for securing members together in a manner rendering them readily collapsible.

More specifically the locking means according to this invention is adapted for use, for example, in cabinet work and in the construction of furniture, and the like, in which connection it enables the members forming, for example, a piece of furniture to be readily assembled and firmly secured, while at the same time permitting ready disassembly, as for storage, shipment, or the like.

Generally speaking the locking means according to this invention will comprise a bolt membeer and a keeper member, constructed so that they may be readily secured respectively to members to be secured together and so that they may be readily engaged and positively locked together and, at the same time, having been locked together so that they may be readily disengaged.

Having now indicated in a general way the nature and purpose of this invention, I will proceed to a detailed description oi. a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bolt member.

Figure 2 is a perspective viewof a keeper member in unlocked position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of ber in locked position. I

Figure 4- is a plan view-oi the keeper member shown in Figures 2 and 3 with the top retainer plate removed.

Figure 5 is a view showing the adaptation of the locking means shown in Figures 1-4 for the securing together of a series of members.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1-4, A, Figure 1, indicates the keeper member and B, Figures 2 and 3, indicates the lock member.

The keeper member A (Figure 1) comprisesa base I drilled as at 2 for the passage of screws by which it may be secured to one of two members to be secured together. Secured centrally of the base member I by means of rivets 20 is a block 3 rounded as at 4 intermediate its ends 5, 5, which are preferably square, to form the spaced corner portion 6.

The bolt member B (Figures 2-4) comprises a base I, having a centrally located square opening 8, dimensioned to receive the block 3 of member A.. On the base I is a guide plate 9., provided". with a centrally located round, opening it, and cut away,..as at H, Figure 4, adjacent one corner of'the base I. Resting on the base I and within thecircular opening It inguide plates a keeper memfirmly and securely locked together.

is a circular bolt member l2, provided with a centrally located square opening I! and with a member l4 extending laterally through the cutout portion II to beyond the edge of the base I. The free end of member I4 is desirably bent 5 over or flanged as at l5.

Overlying the guide plate 9 and serving to retain the member I2 is a retainer plate It provided with a centrally located square opening IT.

The base I, the guide plate 9 and the retainer 10 plate It are riveted together by means of rivets l8 and are drilled as at it for the passage of screws by which the bolt member may be secured to one of two members to be secured together.

The square openings in the base I and the retainer plate It are of a size to receive the block 3 secured to base I and are in register. The Square opening in the bolt member I! is of the same dimensions as the square openings 8 and II and is adapted to be brought into and out of a) registerv with the openings 8 and II by rotation of themember I! through manipulation of the member I l.

As 'will now, it is believed, be clear, if the member A is superimposed on the member B, the locking member l2 being in the position shown by dotted lines on Figure 2, with the block 3 entered in the aligned square openings 8, 9 and ll of member B and the member I2 be rotated to bring the square opening therein out of alignment with the openings 8 and II, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, portions of the member l2 will enter the spaces between the corners of the ends 5, 5 and the members A and B will be Obviously the members A and B may be readily released by turning member l2 to bring its square opening in line with the openings 8 and II, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.

A practical adaptation of the device according to this invention is shown in Figure 5. Thus, to

a member a: is secured the locking member B, by

means of screws 2|, while to a second member 1/ is secured the keeper member A, by means of screws 22. The members a: and y are readily secured together by bringing them into position to bring the members A and B together and manipulating themember It to lock the members A and B together.

As will be obvious, the device may be used variously for securing members together in. cabinet work,.iurniture construction and, in fact, in any art where disassembly of parts is desirable.

It will be understood that it is not intended that this invention shall be limited by the detailed 58- description of a preferred embodiment given above for illustrative purposes, sinceit will be obvious that various modifications in detail may rigidly securing the three plates to eachother,

a movable locking plate in the guiding means in the guide plate, there being registering openings through the base plate, and the retainer plate, there being an opening through the locking plate arranged to be brought into and out of register with the openings in the plates on opposite sides thereof; the keeper member having a base plate with a keeper extending therefrom of the same contour as the openings in the plates of bolt members, said keeper having a groove adapted to receive a portion of the locking plate to lock the two members together when the keeper is within the bolt member and the locking plate is moved into locking position.

2. A-locking device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the movable plate of the bolt member is rotatable.

3. A locking device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the several openings in the plates forming the bolt member are square, that the end portions of the keeper are square, and that the keeper between its ends is rounded.

RUDOLF SCHWARZ. 

